Cornell University

Cornell University’s Department of Performing and Media Arts (PMA) provides an interdisciplinary environment where theatre, performance studies, dance, and media converge. Undergraduate students pursue a major in PMA, which integrates creative authorship, embodied performance, design, and history/theory/criticism—supporting customized pathways into acting, directing, dramaturgy, design, or writing through deep coursework across these domains.

Learning is anchored in production labs, where students work hands-on in the department’s resident Student Laboratory Theatre Company and related ensembles. Through these labs, majors earn credit for participation in rehearsals, technical design, performance, and production management. These experiences are enriched by frequent collaboration across theatre, dance, and media projects.

Courses and productions take place within Cornell’s renowned Robert S. Harrison ’27 and Helen Mills Film Center & Schwartz Center for the Performing and Media Arts, which houses multiple performance venues, production studios, editing suites, rehearsal spaces, and scenic design shops. These facilities provide a professional training ground for a wide range of creative experimentation.

Beyond studio practice, PMA places strong emphasis on scholarly and critical inquiry. Coursework spans global theatre history, performance criticism, dramaturgy, media theory, and creative authorship disciplines—enabling students to analyze and engage with theatre in its cultural context. Students often develop senior projects or senior studio work demonstrating both creative and critical synthesis.

Graduates of Cornell’s PMA often pursue careers as performers, designers, writers, educators, or scholars. Many continue to graduate study in MFA or related fields at top-tier institutions, while others work in media, arts administration, or production-related industries. The program’s alumni base includes practitioners recognized for excellence in theatre, film, and television.